Slow-starting San Jose top Pittsburg

SHORT NIGHT:Sharks goalie Antti Niemi was pulled after the Penguins scored twice in the first three minutes, but backup netminder Thomas Greiss stopped the bleeding

Reuters and AP, SAN JOSE, California

The Minnesota Wild’s Nate Prosser, front, and the Vancouver Canucks’ Ryan Kesler, middle, position themselves in front of Wild goalie Josh Harding during the second period of their game in St Paul, Minnesota, on Thursday.

Photo: Reuters

The San Jose Sharks rallied from an early two-goal deficit to upend the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a shootout at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Thursday.

With the home team trailing 3-1 in the third period, Ryane Clowe launched the comeback with a perfectly placed backhand under the crossbar and capped the rally with the only goal in the shootout.

Jamie McGinn scored the tying goal with a quick shot from the top of the crease with less than five minutes left in the game.

The Penguins blitzed the Sharks with goals from Deryk Engelland and Evgeni Malkin on weak shots from the boards in the first three minutes to chase starting goalie Antti Niemi.

Thomas Greiss came on and stopped all nine shots he faced in the first period to stem the Penguins’ momentum.

“We had no business winning that game after the first period, but we found a way to get back into it,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan told reporters. “It’s two points, but we’ll be discussing our starts. You can be sure about that.”

Patrick Marleau burst through the Penguins defense and fired a wrist shot that trickled past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to draw the Sharks to within one early in the second period, but Malkin restored Pittsburgh’s advantage seven minutes later with his second goal of the game.

Wild 5, Canucks 1

In St Paul, Minnesota, Matt Cullen had two goals and an assist as Minnesota dominated Vancouver.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Guillaume Latendresse and Marco Scandella also had goals for the Wild, who won their third straight game, all with backup Josh Harding in goal.

After missing last season while recovering from injury, Harding has made 98 saves during his past three games on 100 shots. He made 24 saves against the Canucks.

Dan Hamhuis scored the game’s first goal just 2 minutes, 20 seconds in for Vancouver.

Rangers 2, Ducks 1

In New York, Marian Gaborik scored in the last round of a shootout to give the New York Rangers the win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Gaborik gave Anaheim goalkeeper Jonas Hiller a head fake, then slipped the puck past him into the net. New York’s Henrik Lundqvist stopped Bobby Ryan’s final shot to seal the win.

Ryan, who beat New York in a shootout last month, scored late in the second period to draw the Ducks even at 1-1.

Jeff Woywitka put New York up with his first Rangers goal, late in the first.

Predators 3, Coyotes 0

In Glendale, Arizona, Pekka Rinne stopped 35 shots after signing the richest contract in team history to lift Nashville over Phoenix.

Rinne, who signed a seven-year, US$49 million contract, got his third shutout of the season and 23rd in the NHL.

Patric Hornqvist scored for the fourth straight game, while Jonathon Blum and Matt Halischuk also had goals.

Devils 4, Flyers 3, SO

In Philadelphia, Patrik Elias and Zach Parise scored in the shootout to lift New Jersey over Philadelphia.

Elias netted the winner on New Jersey’s final attempt after Parise had beaten Sergei Bobrovsky on the Devils’ first try.

New Jersey’s David Clarkson leveled the game at 3-3 late in the third period following a turnover by the Flyers. Parise and Adam Henrique scored in the second to rally the Devils from a 2-0 hole.

Zac Rinaldo and Claude Giroux had second-period goals for the Flyers. Max Talbot scored in the third on a penalty shot for a 3-2 lead.